It's been a long time since Americans were able to hand on to their children the "world" they had made for themselves with their own hands (and much, much longer for us Europeans). But we, the man and woman in the street, don't have much to do with making the world; it's governments and, even more so nowadays, big businesses that make the world the way it is. In the West, any way: in some other countries it's the State--whoever that is. Remember the old cartoons of the social pyramid, with the king (or whoever) at the top and the people at the bottom? "We rule you"; "we fool you" (the state Church); "we shoot you" (the army); "we support all".

Sorry--I'm starting to sound like a bit of a lefty, aren't I? But even before the Revolution, a lot of colonies in America were started by folks who wanted to make the world--or their bit of it--a better place for themselves and their children. Today we can only hope our children can look after themselves and stay lucky.

Steve